(Video) Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard sends the Australian Open crowd into frenzy after hitting one of the best shots of the year in opening round against Gael Monfils

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard entertained the crowd despite defeat to Gael Monfils in the first round of the Australian Open.

(Video) Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard sends the Australian Open crowd into frenzy after hitting one of the best shots of the year in opening round against Gael Monfils

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard hit a stunning tweener against Gael Monfils (Images via X)

It’s just the start of another tennis season and already players are hitting some unbelievable shots. On Tuesday (January 14), Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard showed why he is being called one of the most dangerous youngsters.

He was up against veteran Gael Monfils in the first round of the Australian Open and lost two sets on the trot. But he was not ready to give up yet. He won the next set and did everything he possibly could not to level the scores in the fourth set.

YouTube video

When both of them won six games each, and the match was pushed into another tie-break with Monfils clinching the first point, it was then the 6′ 8″ Frenchman hit a ridiculous front-facing tweener volley lob to the delight of the crowd inside Court 3. In answer to that stunning shot, Monfils raced toward the baseline and hit a tweener, but the 21-year-old had the last laugh.

FS Video

Watch the video here:

Although the 30th seed toiled hard to win the fourth set, he struggled in the fifth set and eventually lost the three-hour, 46-minute marathon with a scoreline of 7-6(7), 6-3, 7-6(6), 7-6(5), 6-4. Perricard, who made his Grand Slam debut at the 2023 French Open, played his first match in the main draw of the Australian Open, after failing to qualify last year.

RELATED
Jannik Sinner addresses Carlos Alcaraz’s ambitious goal of completing ‘Career Grand Slam’ at Australian Open
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (3)

His best performance at a Grand Slam tournament came at the 2024 Wimbledon when he reached the fourth round.

Gael Monfils is chasing his first Grand Slam singles title

Gael Monfils made his 19th first-round appearance at the Australian Open. Throughout the match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Monfils didn’t face a single break point, hitting 18 aces, just one less than his compatriot. Monfils, who was ranked 205 at the start of 2024 and is currently sitting on 41, will next set to lock horns with Argentina’s Francisco Comesana or Germany’s Daniel Altmaier.

Gael Monfils
Gael Monfils (Image via X)

He has never faced Comesana before but leads 1-0 in the head-to-head meeting against Altmaier. They met in the Round of 32 of the 2023 Vienna Open, where Monfils won the match in straight sets. The Frenchman, who has won 13 singles titles in his career, has never reached the final of any Grand Slam event.

At the Australian Open, he produced his best when he reached the quarterfinals in 2016 and 2022. Last year in Melbourne, Monfils was eliminated from the competition by Tomas Martin Etcheverry after a straight-set defeat in the second round.

RELATED
Novak Djokovic reveals ‘great’ advice from coach Andy Murray that allowed him to turn around the match against Nishesh Basavareddy at the Australian Open
Novak Djokovic Andy Murray

Last week, the 38-year-old became the oldest player to win an ATP title in singles last week when he lifted the ASB Classic with a straight-set win over Zizou Bergs.